My ideas for increasing reading in high school students

I was a very good reader at a young age. My son is not. But then again many of the men in my family line have worked extra hard to learn to read. So, he has plenty of examples it is possible.

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1. Some people find it easy

You can make it fun for them quite easily. Reading aloud, silent reading, challenges, different topics, etc.

2. Some people find it hard

All of the above is horrific for them.

3. Identify people who find it hard ASAP

The earlier the identification, the sooner support can be given.

4. Awareness campaign for parents

Lots of people assume if they read to their kids, have a culture of books around the house, and follow general expectations for their kids then they will learn to read (even if a bit slower than others).

While this is a nice way to give your kids space, it might set up your kids for problems. If they get too far into school without being able to read they will not have any pleasure from school.

5. A huge proportion of the population has difficulty reading.

This makes it hard for them to access complex ideas. It makes them suspicious of people who are highly educated. There are social repercussions for this.

6. Reading is not automatic

Steven pinker talks about this in the language instinct.

Just because some people find it hard to read doesn't make them stupid. In fact, they probably have excellent skills that would be greatly enhanced if they could read better.

It would be great if remedial reading education was offered throughout the schooling system. It should be widely and deeply offered.

7. Make important messages easy to understand.

Important messages need to be understood by everyone. Make them easy to read!

Here is some blatant self promotion: www.ecoliterate.co

Emily